Begonia plant named ‘Reina’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘Reina’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; double flowers that are dark orange in color and held above and beyond the foliage; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Begonia×hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Reina’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia×hiemalis, commercially known as Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Reina’.

The new Begonia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Begonia×hiemalis cultivar Dark Britt, not patented. The new Begonia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent cultivar in a controlled green house environment in Ermelo, The Netherlands in November, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia by cuttings taken in a controlled green house environment in Ermelo, the Netherlands since June, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Reina has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Reina’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Reina’ as a new and distinct Begonia:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Double flowers that are dark orange in color and held above         and beyond the foliage.     -   4. Excellent postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the parent, the cultivar Dark Britt, in flower color as plants of the cultivar Dark Britt have lighter orange-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Batik, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Ermelo, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Batik in flower color as plants of the cultivar Batik had lighter orange-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Reina’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close up view of lower (left) and upper (right) surfaces of typical leaves and flowers of ‘Reina’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Ermelo, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse during the spring and summer. Average day and night temperatures were about 20° C. during the first three to four weeks then lowered to an average day and night temperature of 18° C. until flowering. Four weeks after planting rooted cuttings in 12-cm containers, two five-day periods of long nyctoperiods of 16 hours were given and were separated by two days and subsequently followed by short nyctoperiods of eight hours until flowering. Plants were pinched one time about one week after planting. Plants were about 13 weeks from planting when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Begonia×hiemalis cultivar Reina. -   Commercial classification: Elatior Begonia. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Begonia×hiemalis cultivar Dark Britt, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 20 days at temperatures 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About six weeks at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, well-branched; white/orange             in color. Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed             to form tubers. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form.—Compact, upright and mounded plant habit,             inverted triangle; freely branching with good stem and stem             base strength. Flowers are double and abundant. Plants             flower continuously.         -   Growth habit.—Vigorous growth habit; suitable for 9 to 14-cm             containers. Under optimal environmental and cultural             conditions, usually about 14 weeks are required to produce             proportional 14-cm potted plants from cuttings. Vegetative             shoots are formed at basal nodes and flowering shoots are             formed at upper nodes.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm to 29 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 40 cm.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Simple, alternate. Developing leaves,             length: About 5.5 cm to 6.5 cm. Developing leaves, width:             About 7 cm to 9 cm. Fully expanded leaves, length: About 13             cm to 14 cm. Fully expanded leaves, width: About 17 cm to             19 cm. Shape: Roughly reniform; oblique. Apex: Obtuse to             acute. Base: Cordate; oblique. Margin: Doubly serrate.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; margins, slightly             pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Venation pattern: Palmate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: 147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             148B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than             147A; venation, close to 146A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: 148B; venation, 146C to 146D. Petiole length: About             3 cm to 9 cm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             146C to 146D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Double flowers with numerous tepals             arranged in axillary cymes. Usually five to nine flowers per             cyme. Many cymes in flower simultaneously. Flowers             positioned above and beyond the foliage. Flowering             continuous.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants will flower year round             regardless of nyctoperiod, however plants flower earlier and             more abundantly from mid-February until November in the             Northern Hemisphere.         -   Flowers.—Shape: Rounded; rose-like. Diameter: About 4 cm to             5 cm. Depth (height): About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm to 2 cm. Color: Close to 150D.         -   Tepals.—Arrangement: Rosette. Quantity per flower: Usually             about 30 per flower. Size: Outer tepals, length: About 2.5             cm to 3 cm. Outer tepals, width: About 3.8 cm to 4 cm. Inner             tepals, length: About 1.8 cm to 2.2 cm. Inner tepals, width:             About 2.2 cm to 2.8 cm. Shape: Rounded flabellate. Apex:             Rounded. Margin, outer and inner tepals: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 43A;             towards the center and base, close to 25C. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 43A; towards the center and base,             N30C. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 39A; towards the             center and base, 39B.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity/arrangement: Two, opposite. Shape:             Broadly cordate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper surface:             Close to 144B. Color, lower surface: Close to 144B to 144C.         -   Peduncles.—Angle: Erect. Length: About 3 cm to 5 cm.             Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Angle: Erect. Length: About 1 cm to 3 cm. Texture:             Slightly pubescent. Color: Towards the base, 145C; towards             the apex, 161A to 161B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: None observed. Pistils: None             observed.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been observed             as reproductive organs are not formed. -   Postproduction longevity:     -   -   Individual flowers.—Generally about two to three weeks.         -   Whole plants.—About six weeks under interior conditions. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Begonia has not been observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 10° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘Reina’ as illustrated and described. 